1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of digital data management and more particularly to systems for data backup applications.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Digital content, represented by digital data files of various file types, is rapidly replacing other forms of content. Documents, presentations, photos, movies, and music, for example, are increasingly produced and stored digitally. A problem for many individuals and organizations is that digital content, typically stored on a computer hard drive, can be poorly organized and needs to be archived to be protected against accidental loss. For example, digital photo files on a personal computer (PC) are likely to be found in numerous folders—photos transferred from a digital camera are stored in one set of folders, photos received as e-mail attachments are stored in other folders, and photos downloaded from websites are stored in still other folders.
One approach to archiving digital content is to periodically backup all of the data files on the computer, preserving the existing organizational structure. While this technique is effective to preserve digital content against accidental loss, the technique has several shortcomings. For one, the resulting copy is no better organized than the original, so misplaced or disorganized content remains misplaced or disorganized. Also, backing up all data files requires substantial memory capacity to copy numerous files that are otherwise already preserved elsewhere. Application specific files, for example, originally loaded onto the computer from a compact disc (CD) are already archived on the CD and therefore do not need to be backed up.
The necessary storage capacity for a complete backup can be obtained with writable data storage media, such as hard disc drives (HDDs), however, these require device installation and software set-up when first connected to a system. In order to complete these steps, a user may have to provide information about the existing system, which the user may not readily know. Also, the user may have to make decisions regarding the configuration of the device and the backup software. The number of steps involved with installation and set-up, as well as the complexity of some of the steps, dissuades many users from bothering with backup applications. The expense of a writable data storage media with enough capacity to perform a complete backup can also dissuade users from performing complete backups. Furthermore, some users, having bought and installed the necessary storage capacity, are dissuaded from performing frequent backups due to the length of time the system is tied up while performing a complete backup.
Alternately, a user can manually select a set of files from a directory and copy the selected files to a storage device. While this alternative may allow usage of a smaller memory device that does not require installation and set-up steps, manually selecting files is time-consuming. Also, manually selecting files creates the possibility of an accidental omission of some files.
Another issue raised by digital content, and especially digital photos, relates to printing. For example, when a person takes a digital camera memory medium to a photo printing kiosk, the kiosk has to read all of the photos from the memory medium before displaying the photos so that the person can select just some of the displayed photos for printing. Where the number of photos on the memory medium is large, reading all of the photos can be very time consuming as well as inefficient when only a small number of photos are to be printed. As an alternative, printing from an online photo printing service is also becoming popular. However, if the user wishes to print photos stored in different directories on a PC, or even in e-mail attachments, selecting the photos and uploading the photos to the online photo printing service can be cumbersome. Still another frequently encountered problem is seeking to make a print of a photo but not being able to recall where, amongst the various folders and e-mails on a PC, the photo is stored. Without knowing the photo's file name, search functions can be of little help, and may be of no help where the photo is stored as an e-mail attachment.
An issue with online photo printing, and other online services, is that identifying and/or locating an online service provider, connecting to the online service provider, uploading data to the online service provider, and specifying tasks to be performed by the online service provider can require a large number of user steps. For example, connecting to the online service provider typically requires establishing an Internet connection, opening a browser, identifying and/or locating an online service provider, providing a URL, and then entering a user name and password. Where the user does not know the URL of the online service provider, or does not even know which online service provider to use, the user may have to perform a search with a search engine. Where the user has not used the online service provider previously, the user may additionally have to register with the online service provider, which entails still further steps. After getting past the online service provider's log in page, the user still has to navigate the website, select images or other data to upload, wait while the files are uploaded, and indicate the desired tasks to be performed. Additionally, the user may have to provide some form of payment, and may have to fill out forms with shipping and billing addresses. What is needed, therefore, is the ability to simplify the process of connecting with, and communicating tasks to, as well as potentially having to locate and identify, an online service provider.